The Hard Way - 1979 - 7/10

Terrific, underrated, and I suspect, little seen crime film.
Patrick McGoohan plays an Irish assassin who does a final job before telling the go-between he is finished.
Quitting is not so easy, however. His main employer, Lee Van Cleef, needs him for a more difficult job.
After clear refusals, leverage is brought to bear upon the marksman.

Moody film that advances slowly, with a brilliant sense of quiet.
Dialogue is spare, a couple characters hardly talk at all. Tight closeups of gun work.
Emphasis is placed on hunting, tracking, and stalking in three distinct sequences.
Stealth, by its nature, can be a silent and patient enterprise.
One also sees the organized hierarchy. McGoohan works under Cleef, who accepts assignments from another, who in turn is merely another go-between. Contractors, sub-contractors.
McGoohan’s estranged wife acts as a chorus, sketching in details of the man.
Hyperkinetic action fans, not for you. Those who enjoyed The Mechanic (Bronson), find this.